What’s up with this weather? Last spring was warm and the summer extremely dry. Although this year’s cold snap “appears” to have broken across Wisconsin, temperatures remain below normal, and our mounds of snow are only slowly shrinking.

One of the last issues the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee considered Tuesday as it wrapped up budget briefings was childcare. Lawmakers must decide what they think of Gov. Walker’s plans to alter the state’s payment system for providers and to combat fraud.

Governor Walker obviously wants to run for President, according to UWM History Professor Glen Jeansonne. He’s been watching the governor travel the country, raising money and speaking to conservative audiences. Now that Walker will publish a book detailing his political experiences and ideology, there’s no question in the professor’s mind - the career politician wants the country to know about him.

Lake Effect’s Amy Kiley discussed the Supreme Court hearings with two University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee students, Johanna Beran and Baraq Stein.

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments for and against the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which the Obama Administration has declined to defend. A ruling on DOMA could impact federal benefits for same-sex couples. The Proposition 8 case before the court yesterday could have a broader impact. The justices could use it to rule on the constitutionality of same-sex marriage – though they signaled hesitation to issue such a broad determination.

For more than thirty years, the library of the American Geographical Society has resided within the Golda Meir library at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. One key artifact in that library is a scroll representing the history of one family from the Zapotec culture in Mexico.

Environment

12:00 am

Fri March 22, 2013

Don Quintenz practically came out of the womb with a fascination for nature.

“I just loved the wildflowers and the hawks and the birds; and I’m lucky I was brought up with a lot of exposure to nature as a young kids; go outside, I don’t want to see you until dinner time kind of thing,” Quintenz says.

West Bend has long been a conservative stronghold in southeastern Wisconsin. The city seems to have taken a few steps further to the right in recent years, as conservative and Tea Party ideology has made its presence felt.

Economy & Business

3:20 pm

Wed March 20, 2013

A developer announced plans on Wednesday for a new five-story building to be constructed in the "The Brewery " neighborhood. The Brewery - a mixed-use development - is located on the northern edge of downtown Milwaukee, on the grounds of the former Pabst Brewery.